When you first got your Cricut cutting machine you may have found you wasted paper as you worked out how to use it. Manuals are all well and good but there is nothing like just doing it yourself and learning from your mistakes. Cricut Design studio can be used with any of the Cricut cutting machines (original, Expression or Create). It allows you to design and see what is going to be cut before it happens. You can weld letters together, change shapes and more and if you notice something wrong with the design you have created, or you want to change something, you have the opportunity to fix it before it is cut.
This means no more wasted paper when you choose a cutout but its not quite what you are looking for. No wasted paper as you try and learn how to use the software. There is a disc you use to install the software and a manual comes with it to guide you. Using the USB cable you link it to your cutting machine and you even get a cricut mouse pad!
Having Cricut Design studio means you have access to all the available cartridges whether you own them or not. When a new cartridge comes out for sale you just go to the website to get an update for your software. Do remember though that in order to actually cut out you have to own the cartridge. If you have used designs from several cartridges to make one unique image, the cutter prompts you to change cartridges when it needs the next one.
Welding means you can connect letters and shapes into one image. This is great for making words and phrases which means greeting cards and scrapbooking just got even easier. No more trying to glue individual letters and re-adjusting sticky paper when it is not straight etc.
The Cricut Design Studio bascially lets you create whatever you can imagine, that is your only limit, your own creativity.